Biomedical Engineering and Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies have evolved significantly in recent decades, bring- ing new trends to production processes. The advantages compared to conventional technologies are numer- ous: production is simpler and faster, geometry can be adjusted more easily, the quality of finished parts is better, less material is wasted, and costs are lower. Because of the wide range of possibilities, the different AM processes and the materials that can be used, these technologies have found their place in many indus- tries, not least in biomedical applications. Flexibility in geometric freedom, in particular, is important for the fabrication of biomedical devices. It is already known that AM technologies can improve and facilitate diagnostics through the fabrication of customized and in-demand parts, support consultation between phy- sicians and patients, and thus provide the opportunity to develop individualized, patient-specific medicine. This review briefly outlines current applications and AM techniques present in the biomedical field.